Lü Gong

史载（Historical Record）

Regarding the figure of Lü Gong, there is no clear record in the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* or other official histories. Therefore, his life and deeds, family background, and specific contributions in history cannot be verified. In the great current of history, Lü Gong seems to have left no traces for posterity to trace; whether he existed, and what role he played in the Three Kingdoms period, are not recorded in the official sources. This makes it impossible for us to give any objective evaluation or analysis of him from a historiographical standpoint.

演中（In the Novel）

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Lü Gong is portrayed as a stout general under Liu Biao, his image revolving mainly around the campaign in which Sun Jian attacked Xiangyang ^c:4877. In the novel, Sun Jian led his army to besiege Xiangyang, and the fighting was fierce. One day a violent wind suddenly arose and snapped the pole of the "commander" banner of Sun Jian's central army; Han Dang regarded this as an ill omen and advised withdrawing the army, but Sun Jian did not heed him and instead pressed the assault on the city ever more urgently. At this time, Liu Biao's strategist Kuai Liang observed the heavens by night and predicted that a general star was about to fall, which should fall upon Sun Jian, and advised Liu Biao to send a letter quickly to Yuan Shao for aid. To get the request for aid out of the city, Liu Biao asked who dared to break out. The stout general Lü Gong stepped forward and volunteered to take on this heavy task ^c:4877.

Kuai Liang offered Lü Gong an ingenious plan: Lü Gong would lead five hundred horsemen, of whom one hundred carried stones and one hundred bore crossbows, and break out from the east gate, riding straight for Mount Xian. The aim was to lure Sun Jian into pursuit, then exploit the terrain of Mount Xian to set an ambush, attacking the pursuing troops with stones and a hail of arrows. If successful, they would fire a string of signal cannons, and the city would send out troops to meet them; if there were no pursuers, they would simply ride on their way. Having received his orders, Lü Gong secretly opened the east gate at dusk and led his troops out of the city ^c:4877.

Sun Jian, hearing the shouts in his camp, hastily led some thirty-odd riders in pursuit. Lü Gong set an ambush in the woods of Mount Xian, and when Sun Jian came up, Lü Gong reined in his horse, fought Sun Jian a single bout, then feigned defeat and fled, drawing Sun Jian deep into the mountain path. Sun Jian pursued into the mountains and, not seeing Lü Gong, was about to climb when suddenly gongs sounded loudly, stones rained down from the heights, and a hail of arrows flew from the woods. Sun Jian was struck by stones and arrows, his brains spilling out, and both man and horse died on Mount Xian; he was only thirty-seven years old ^c:842. Lü Gong's image in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, though he appears little, plays a crucial role in the key episode of Sun Jian's death, directly bringing about the fall of Sun Jian, the founder of Eastern Wu.

关键关系

* Liu Biao's faction (serves): Lü Gong was a stout general under Liu Biao, following the dispatch of Liu Biao and the strategy of Kuai Liang in service to Liu Biao's faction ^c:4877. His action bore directly on the safety of Xiangyang city and the strategic deployment of Liu Biao's faction.
* Sun Jian (enemy_of): Lü Gong was Sun Jian's direct opponent, and in the novel devised and successfully ambushed and killed Sun Jian ^c:842. His relationship with Sun Jian was hostile, and ultimately brought about Sun Jian's tragic end.

标志性场景

* Ambushing Sun Jian at Mount Xian: This is Lü Gong's most signature scene in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Under Kuai Liang's plan, Lü Gong led his troops in a breakout from Xiangyang city, luring Sun Jian to pursue as far as Mount Xian. He cleverly exploited the terrain to set an ambush of stones and arrows, and successfully ambushed and killed Sun Jian, who died struck by stones and arrows ^c:842. This event was not only Lü Gong's high point in the novel, but also directly altered the historical course of the early Three Kingdoms, laying the groundwork for the subsequent development of the powers (novel-only).